Filling up a fuel tank on a small boat, personal watercraft (e.g., jet ski®) or other watercraft can be difficult, potentially dangerous in rough water, and often results in damaging fuel spills. This is because the watercraft is typically floating and rocking on the water and, for small vessels, the fuel tank opening is usually located well below the level of the dock where the operator can safely walk and stand. This makes it inconvenient and often quite difficult and potentially dangerous to fill the tank while standing or kneeling on the dock, especially in rough water and high waves caused by boat wakes. When onboard the vessel, it can also be difficult to find a stable way to pour fuel from a hand-held gas can into the tank opening. This problem is particularly acute for very small vessels such as personal watercraft and small motor boats. For larger vessels and those floating next to low floating docks, the fuel tank opening may be located well above the dock, which can also presents problems with filling the tank. Even filling a portable fuel tank can be difficult, requiring the operator to bend over the tank while leaning away from the fumes coming out of the tank.
In addition, for many vessels the fuel tank opening can be too small to allow a fuel pump handle to enter and rest in the tank opening, which requires the operator to hold the pump handle in place while filling the tank. Because the fuel conduit into the onboard gas tank often lacks a proper vent, the gas can back up and spit back out of the fuel tank opening while fueling, which causes the gas to spill onto the side of craft, onto the operator's hands and, unfortunately, into the water. As a result, a sheen of gasoline and diesel fuel often accumulates on the top surface of the water in many marinas, which fouls the nearby shores and presents a hazard to the boats, boaters, marina operators, wildlife and natural surroundings. Sooner or later, it can be expected that the governing authorities will crack down and require safer and more environmentally sound practices for fueling watercraft.
As another consideration, fuel at marinas is typically quite a bit more expensive than the same type of fuel at land-based gas stations, and land-based gas stations often carry a higher octane grade of fuel that is not available at many marinas. Also, taking the watercraft to a marina for fueling can be very time consuming and many marinas experience long lines during peak times, when the boat owners would much prefer to be out on the water rather than traveling to the marina and waiting to fill up the fuel tank. These factors provide strong incentives for filling up the watercraft's fuel tank with gas purchased at a land-based station. Nevertheless, the difficulties experienced with fueling the watercraft with a hand-held gas can still inhibits many boaters from fueling the watercraft in this manner. In fact, without some type of device to help deliver the fuel from a gas can or other suitable container into the fuel tank on the watercraft in a clean and safe manner, many boaters elect to use the marina despite the associated drawbacks. And many small boat and personal watercraft owners who have tried to fill their watercraft with a hand-held gas can have stories of being swamped, knocked about or even overboard, and spilling fuel while trying to fill the tank.
One product known as the Fuel-Buddy® has been developed in an attempt to solve this problem. This particular device includes a fuel holding tank that typically holds about 25 to 30 gallons of fuel and includes a retractable hose to deliver the gas from the holding tank to the watercraft. However, this product is not suitable for many potential users because it is relatively expensive (currently selling in the $250-300 range) and difficult to use because it is quite heavy for an individual to handle when full. Because the device is too large to fit into many passenger vehicles and so heavy when full, it generally requires a truck, trailer or some other gear to help transport the device back and forth from the gas station.
As a result, there is a need for an easier, safer, more convenient, more cost effective, and more environmentally friendly way to load fuel onto watercraft while they are in the water. There is a further need for a better way to load fuel purchased at a land-based gas station onto watercraft while they are in the water, particularly while they are floating at a private dock. It would also be beneficial for the device to be universal for many different locations, unobtrusive, attractive to the extend practical, light weight, and generally safe, easy, and convenient to use.